All Restorations Start With Hope
March 2023
Progress continues at
St. Benedict the Moor School
History
The St. Benedict the Moor Schoolhouse was built in 1898 with funds donated by Sr. Katherine Drexel (later canonized as Saint Katherine Drexel). The final cost was estimated at $7,500. Along with the Sisters of St. Joseph, Josephites Priests were called to serve the community. The Sisters of St. Joseph operated and taught the black students who attended the St. Benedict Moor School.
The mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph was to educate the freed slaves following the Civil War. Eight white Catholic nuns arrived from Le Puy, France with only their faith and an unstoppable ferocity to serve the Black community and have continued through this day with the mission to serve the neglected.
The congregation and the school grounds have witnessed the long road of the civil rights movement. These women of faith faced adversity and prejudice, along with the students they served. In 1916 three sisters were put on house arrest for teaching black students. The police charged them with violating the Florida law prohibiting white teachers from instructing blacks; they soon dropped the charges as the law did not apply to private schools.
This building and campus have served so many needs for the community of Lincolnville. During World War II, it served as the USO for Black Soldiers. St. Benedict Church hosted the first Diocesan Convention for Negro Catholics in 1941. Years later Martin Luther King Jr. used the rectory as a meeting place to plan marches during the Civil Rights movement.
The St. Benedict Moor School still serves as a reminder of the long fight for equality. The school operated during the days of segregation until 1964. The St. Benedict Moor School was closed as part of school desegregation legislation.
The schoolhouse is nearing 125 years old and is in critical need of restoration. The building, which sits in the Lincolnville district, is on the National Register of Historic Places. However, years of neglect, wear and tear have left the structure beyond compromised. The Sisters of St. Joseph commit to preserving this rich history; our goal is to restore the structure and repurpose it to serve a population in need.
Rendering of St. Joseph Neighborhood Center Currently Under Construction!
The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered…
— St. Peter, 1 Peter 5:10